


Protège Moi

by justbygrace



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-28
Updated: 2013-12-28
Packaged: 2018-01-06 10:32:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1105759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justbygrace/pseuds/justbygrace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Protective Custody AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	Protège Moi

Protective Custody. Two words Rose Tyler never expected to hear in conjunction with her name. But then came Jimmy Stone and stupid decisions and too many hospital visits and her own damn curiosity and here she was, seated on the edge of a hard plastic chair in some police station, clutching her purse with sweat-slicked hands, and pretending she wasn't mentally freaking out. She had a sinking feeling she wasn't fooling anyone. There were still words swirling around her, words she couldn't be bothered to understand just then. She could feel the earth tipping, hurtling up to meet her, blood rushing through her ears, gaining in momentum, and then nothing.

When he got the call that morning from his old colleague, Donna Noble, he had not been thrilled. He'd just spent 18 months protecting a politician with an overblown sense of his own self-worth and he needed a vacation, at least a week, maybe more. But he owed Donna for saving his skin on more than one occasion and when she'd poured out a sob story about a young abused woman who'd seen things she wasn't supposed to and begged him to "please take this one Doctor, you're the best," well, what was he supposed to do? Besides, he was the best. What he was not expecting was the blonde woman with the pale skin and wide eyes trying desperately to look like she was holding it together. He'd folded his arms and tried to convince himself she was going to be a right pain, which worked up until the moment her skin went impossibly paler and she tipped sideways out of the chair.

That was six months ago. Waking up with the sight of a concerned brow and overlarge ears blocking her vision had done things to her brain, permanent things that occasionally caused Rose to question her sanity. Things like lusting over the agent assigned to keep her safe, a man who had to be at least twice her age and who never spoke in words when he could grunt, or full sentences when one or two words would suffice. There were plenty of moments when Rose felt the overwhelming desire to bang her head against the wall, although that would cause him to question her motivations and no way was she explaining her ridiculous crush to him. The man was an enigma wrapped in a puzzle, rarely sharing any personal information with her if he could help it. Six months, three safe houses, and countless driving hours after meeting him and Rose only knew that he hated his true name, preferring to go by Doctor, did not have a permanent home base, and had fought in the war. But she was determined to learn everything else there was to know, even if he never saw her as anything more than a silly child.

The Doctor resisted the urge to smash his head into the steering wheel. Despite being spectacularly poor driving, that action would no doubt cause Rose to ask him a thousand and one questions and he had absolutely no desire to explain to her that the scent of her perfume was slowly (or not so slowly) driving him spare. Every single day he questioned how this young woman with her bright smile, loving heart, and accepting nature had managed to break down barriers he had spent years building up. Donna would probably laugh her way into early retirement if she found out that someone had actually stolen the Doctor's heart, though he rather thought stolen was the wrong word, it seemed so harsh and unforgiving. What Rose had done was not that at all; she had softened his heart, scaling his walls with her sincere questions and heart-felt stories. But there were rules and regulations (not only in the agency, but also his personal code) that kept him from saying anything, not to mention the fact that he was at least ten years older than she was and there was no universe in which she could be interested in an old man like him.

After nearly nine months with the Doctor, Rose was almost at her wit's end. Each new piece of background she learned about him, each gentle smile that broke through his façade, each time he allowed her to fall asleep with her head pillowed on his leather-clad arm, each stuttered compliment regarding an outfit or hairstyle change gave her hope that this time, surely this time, something would change between them, but moments later he would stalk away muttering about doing a perimeter check or finishing reports, leaving her frustrated and confused. In the last city they had taken on a new member of the team, an agent named Jack Harkness with an obviously impressive resume and a suave charm that would (and did) sweep many people off their feet. Rose had instantly been drawn to Jack, enjoying his willingness to have conversations, but she met his flirtations with a steady smile and a shake of her head; the only man whose head she wanted to turn was completely oblivious to things like dating.

Calling into headquarters for a back-up agent had been a mistake, though not one that the Doctor was willing to admit out loud. The reason he had given to Rose for Jack's sudden arrival was that with the trial moving closer the more protection she had the better, but the real reason, the one he had chosen to keep to himself, was that he knew that his focus was greatly diminished these days and he was worried that if they came under attack he wouldn't be able to think clearly. What he had not factored in was that Jack Harkness was a pretty boy with a magnetic personality and the ability to use his name as a pickup line (though Jack tended to keep his hands to himself where Rose was concerned after The Incident the night Jack had arrived involving Glen Miller and some rather impressive dance skills). The Doctor honestly couldn't tell if Rose was interested in Jack or not and tried to keep his mind occupied on other things. Despite his best intentions, however, Jack did grow on him with his quick-thinking and friendly personality and the Doctor begrudgingly warmed up to him.

Thirteen months to the day that Rose fainted into the arms of the Doctor, was the day of the trial. The Doctor and Jack had gone through the plans for the day multiple times with her, ensuring that she knew precisely what to expect...which worked right up until they entered the courthouse and then all hell broke loose. One moment Rose was flanked by the Doctor and Jack, the next she was rocketed backwards, the Doctor's body covering hers. She had some vague notion of the unmistakable sound of gunfire and shouted instructions, but she was aware only of the Doctor's arms around her, the familiar scent of his aftershave filling her nose, and an insistent pain in her side. How long they crouched there, Rose didn't know, but eventually the Doctor was pulling her to her feet, saying something that she couldn't quite make out. She managed only a feeble "Doctor?" before, for the second time in their acquaintanceship, she felt the floor rush up to meet her.

The Doctor was pacing up and down the corridor outside of the operating room where some incompetent quacks were even now operating on his precious Rose because he hadn't been paying attention and she had gotten shot. It didn't matter how many times Jack assured him that it wasn't his fault, the Doctor wasn't listening, choosing instead to relive those ten minutes repeatedly, as his brain helpfully pointed out all the ways he could have prevented this. As minutes turned into an hour and then two, the Doctor's footsteps became angrier, his recrimination more self-detrimental. At some point Donna showed up, offering him a pat on the shoulder and informing him that every single one of the bastards who had shot guns in the vicinity of Rose Tyler was in custody. The Doctor just barely restrained himself from charging down to interrogation himself, only staying where he was because he was determined to know the moment they let him know Rose's fate (and consequently his).

As Rose fought her way towards consciousness, she was aware of a hand in hers, fingers clutching tight enough to hurt, but familiar enough to soothe. She forced herself to open her eyes, blinking against the harsh light, and she let out a relieved sigh when the Doctor's concerned visage swam into focus. She opened her mouth to speak, but found her voice too dry to manage it. The Doctor immediately jumped to attention, offering her ice chips. The concern in his eyes was swiftly morphing into embarrassment and she recognized where this was heading and was absolutely determined to stay the course; she would not let him run, not this time. She lifted her uninjured arm tentatively, rubbing the pad of her index finger down his jaw and forcing him to meet her eyes and choking out a broken, "I love you, my Doctor." She watched his eyes widen in disbelief and his jaw work for a moment. Eventually he closed his mouth and lowered his head until he could rest his cheek on her chest, his shoulders shaking.

In all of his considerable experience and years, the Doctor had never experienced the simple and complete love of one young woman, and it simultaneously broke and healed him. He could hardly believe that she meant what she said, but he knew he would spend the rest of his life attempting to deserve it. Saying the words would take time and he desperately hoped that she could possible understand that, though there was not a whole lot that he believed his precious girl couldn't do. When he regained the ability to speak, he lifted his head and talked about places they could go, adventures they could have together, watching as her brow crinkled with confusion even as her eyes twinkled with merriment. She let him ramble (him, ramble!) for a solid moment before summoning enough strength to raise her hand again, this time to wind her fingers around the back of his neck and pull his lips down to hers. The only semi-rational thought in his brain was that he was going to have to send Donna something particularly nice for recommending him for this job.


End file.
